TWICE former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad has recently slammed the Arab and Muslim world for being “culpable over the genocide” of the Palestinians and I have to agree with him – it sounds like the truth to me, too.
The Arab and the Muslim world only managed to organise a meeting on Nov 11, more than a month after the Oct 7 incursion had occurred and only after Gaza had been flattened and thousands of Palestinians have died.
Not only were they exceedingly late in organising a meeting, their meeting also resulted in nothing.
To make it worse, just a couple of days ago, the Ayatollah of Iran also came out to declare that his country is not going to join Hamas to fend Gaza from the Israelis despite indicating otherwise to the Palestinians until today.
The reason the Ayatollah gave is that since Hamas never gave them notice of their intention to launch the Oct 7 incursion, it cannot now expect the Iranians to back the Palestinians in fending off the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
How convenient for the Iranians to have done so. For decades, they spoke brave words and motivated the Palestinians to confront the Israelis but when it is time to own up to their words, all they could come up with is clever words to provide an alibi for their failure to keep their promise.
Paying lip service at best
There are nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world. If each just donated US$100, they could collect US$200 bil in no time which is more than sufficient to raise a standing army.
If they were able to raise US$200 bil, they wouldn’t even have to raise a standing army. The Israelis themselves would have realised the commitment of the Muslim world to defend Gaza, agreed to a truce and returned to the negotiation table.
The Muslim world – it seems – doesn’t wish to do anything more than give lip service to the Palestinian cause.
Sure, the Muslims will organise demonstrations, boycott McDonalds and make emotional YouTube videos to support the Palestinians but when it comes to money, blood, sweat and tears, suddenly everybody is looking at everybody else to do something.
The Muslim world is literally treating the Palestinians like cannon fodder. You shame them if they sue for peace with the Israelis but if they fight, you leave them high and dry.
I think it is time that the Muslim world wakes up and smells the coffee.
If you want to do something, do something. If not, just tell the Palestinians the truth. Tell them that you are not going to come for them. Tell them that they are on their own, and that you understand why they have to do what they have to do to do right by them.
If you can’t help them, at least stop cheering them to the slaughterhouse. You owe them that because it is not they who failed you but you who failed them. – Nov 20, 2023
Nehru Sathiamorthy is a roving tutor who loves politics, philosophy and psychology.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
